Mock Draft Monday 5/18 '26
Blem
Blem
- NBA Playoffs
- NBA Draft ‘26 Prospects
-YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s Blem as it’s the next in line in his discography.
Nice spring tune. Imagine being a Kendrick fan and having to pretend to hate Iceman. Sad!
On to the ball…
Eastern Conference Finals
The Knicks took two of three against the Cavs in the regular season. These two franchises have never faced each other outside of four 1st Round series. In the late ‘70s, Bob McAdoo and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe beat Cleveland in a best-of-3. In 1995 and 1996, Patrick Ewing led the Knicks over the Cavs twice in a best-of-5. Most recently, the New York won the best-of-7 in ‘23. The Knicks have never lost a series to the Cavs in postseason play.
If the Cleveland is anything, they’re a bit battle-tested after winning two straight Game 7s to get here. They fared as one of the better road teams during the regular season and took the last two games in Detroit. With big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the Cavs have one of the better interior defenses in the NBA. That said, they are well below average at defending the 3-point line. In back-to-back Game 7s, Allen has been very aggressive on the offensive end, scoring 22 and 23 points. However, on offense, they are typically heavily reliant on their backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. This postseason, the Cavs are 6-1 when Mitchell and Harden combine to score over 42 points in a game. Aside from Cleveland’s core four, they rotate their 5th guy with shooters such as Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade. While the three of them combined to shoot over 40% from beyond the arc during the regular season, I really don’t think the Knicks will lose sleep over them taking somewhat contested looks.
Ever since their wake-up call in Game 3 of the 1st Round in Atlanta, the Knicks have been on a heater, winning 7 straight by an average margin of victory of over 26 points. The biggest “criticism” New York will face this week is that, by Game 1 on Tuesday, they will not have played a game in 9 days. Although there could be some rust, one extremely positive development of the added rest is that OG Anunoby is likely to return after pulling his hamstring in the Sixers’ series. A major key to the Knicks’ hot streak of late has been the stellar play of Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks’ big man has played much more of a point forward role, which has not accentuated his underrated passing ability, but has allowed Jalen Brunson to play a little bit more off-ball. One hidden key to this series is the full-court on-ball defense the Knicks can use on Mitchell and Harden with their bench guards. Despite the clear-cut advantage as the favorites, I’m still picking this series to go the distance because it’s the Knicks and making an NBA Finals is never easy.
Prediction: Knicks in 7
On to the ball…
Zuby Ejiofor, C, St. John’s
Zuby Ejiofor is from Garland, Texas. He didn’t start playing basketball until he was in the 8th grade. By the time Ejiofor was a senior in high school, he was averaging 21.7 points, 13 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game for Garland HS. Ejiofor’s first stop out of high school was the University of Kansas. In 25 games with the Jayhawks, the big man saw limited action off the bench. He transferred to St. John’s once Rick Pitino took over the program. While Ejiofor still came off the bench for the Johnnies in ‘23-’24, the 6’9” center saw his minutes double, scoring 4.3 points with 3.1 rebounds per game. His junior season was his breakout year on the national scene, as he was named Team Captain and the Big East’s Most Improved Player, with averages of 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. This past season, he further improved as a senior by becoming the unanimous Big East Player of the Year and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while hitting on 31% from 3-point range. The St. John’s center perfectly encapsulated his head coach’s intensity and represented the old-school Big East basketball of the past. While he won’t be a point forward at the next level, Ejiofor has displayed heads-up passing ability and is a smart defender, but he’ll make his bones in the NBA as a tenacious presence in the low post with the ability to step outside to hit on open looks. His game reminds me of former stud Brazilian Nugget, Nenê.
Joshua Jefferson, PF, Iowa State
Joshua Jefferson is from Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, where he averaged 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game his senior season. His collegiate career began at St. Mary’s. After a freshman season where Jefferson came off the Gaels’ bench, the power forward earned a starting role as a sophomore. Unfortunately, his ‘23-’24 season would get cut short due to a leg injury, but Jefferson had managed to average 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Before his junior year, Jefferson transferred to Iowa State. He led the Cyclones in rebounding with 7.4 boards per game while also chipping in with 13 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals as well. This past season as a senior, Joshua Jefferson was listed as a power forward but is genuinely a point forward. The Cyclone offense primarily ran through their big man, as Jefferson averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and he hit on 35% of his 3s. Not only is Jefferson a very skilled scorer, but his passing may be what truly separates him at the next level. The 2nd Team All-American has a game similar to Boris Diaw's in that it’s below the rim but effective thanks to his crafty guard skills.
Brayden Burries, SG, Arizona
Brayden Burries is from San Bernardino, California. Both his parents were collegiate athletes, as his father was a former basketball player at Cal State Bernardino, while his mother played softball at Tennessee and hoops at Cal State Bernardino. Burries attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where he was a 5-star recruit and the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of California. In his senior season, he averaged 29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game. Burries spent one season in college at Arizona this past year. The freshman averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while draining 39% of his 3-pointers for the Wildcats. He was honored with 1st Team All-Big 12 recognition and was considered a finalist for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. On an Arizona team that rarely shot many 3-pointers, Burries was really their only true deep threat. With fewer defenses keying in on his shooting, he could become an even better 3-point shooter at the next level. I see a bit of Jason Terry in his game, although Burries is a couple inches taller with more hops.
Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville
Mikel Brown Jr. is from Orlando, Florida. He finished his high school hoops career at DME Academy, averaging 29.6 points per game, and was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year. Brown Jr. attended the McDonald’s All-American Game, winning the 3-point contest. He also competed in the USA Basketball U19 National Team, suiting up in the FIBA World Cup last summer. During his only season of collegiate hoops at Louisville, Brown Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He’s ambidextrous as a driver with plenty of ability to win off the dribble using both hands. Mikel Brown Jr. flashed plenty of scoring potential as he scored over 20 points in nearly half the games he played and even had a 45-point game to break Cooper Flagg’s ACC freshman single-game record. He dealt with a lingering back issue that held him out of 14 games, but reportedly showed up to the NBA Draft Combine feeling better than ever. While he can play point guard, I think his game lends itself more to a combo-scoring guard, like Mo Williams from back in the 2000s.
Dailyn Swain, SF, Texas
